


no koala bear petting zoos in new york city

by ienablu



Category: Ghostbusters (2016)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, F/F, Friendship, Gen, Pre-Femslash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-26
Updated: 2016-07-26
Packaged: 2018-07-26 23:47:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7595062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ienablu/pseuds/ienablu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"At any point you're welcome to jump in and explain why you're carrying Holtzmann."</p>
            </blockquote>





	no koala bear petting zoos in new york city

**Author's Note:**

> I had a lot of feelings on this movie, and a lot of feelings on [this interview snip](http://mienuxbleu.tumblr.com/post/148031721495/geniebelcher-ghostbusters20-16-how-heavy-are). Also, shoutout to [this Holtzmann fanmix](http://8tracks.com/littlesestras/danger-high-voltage-a-holtzmann-mix) for being great to write to.

"I hate public transport," Erin announces as she crests the top of the subway stop.

"I'm gonna go ahead and pretend like I didn't hear you say that," Patty replies. She then unceremoniously shoves the brown paper bag of Thai food into her arms.

"Uh," she says. "If it makes you feel any better, I was talking about the NJT, not the MTA."

"Some," Patty says, as stoic and dignified as she can manage. It takes about three seconds before she breaks down and smiles. "How was your lecture?"

Erin readjusts her grip on the brown paper bag. " _Amazing_ ," she gushes. "Before that, though, how much food is in this bag."

"I don't really know. Kevin ordered."

"Ah."

"So. Princeton lecture?"

Erin takes her cue to launch into a blow-by-blow recount of her lecture. Her packed lecture! Her packed lecture with her douchebag former-colleague sitting in the third row! It's a very enthusiastic rendition, and still going strong by the time that they reach the new Ghostbusters office.

Kevin is on the phone as they enter, and he gives them two thumbs up as they enter, and then scrambles to pick the phone back up from where it clatters on his desk.

"We should talk to Abby about getting him a headset," Patty says, as they make their way up to the second floor.

Abby is standing in the middle of the lab when they enter.

Holtzmann is in her arms, legs wrapped around Abby's waist, arms wrapped around Abby's neck.

Abby lifts a hand, and waves to them. "Hey, guys," she says in a whispering yell. "Did you bring back food? Kevin says he put in an order at that new Thai restaurant."

"I picked it up while I was waiting for Erin. And it's not exactly a new restaurant. That building has been a Thai restaurant in a few different iterations over the past two decades. Had a great conversation with the old Thai lady who's running the newest iteration, she told me everything there was to know about all the owners. Then Erin recounted how Dr. Filmore was at her lecture, and at any point you're welcome to jump in and explain why you're carrying Holtzmann."

"Is she okay?" Erin adds.

Abby blinks, and then looks down at the rest of blonde hair, almost surprised by it. "Oh, this? She's just stuck on refiguring the Ramis Board so it has a shorter distance to the particle thrower. Or something like that. It's hard to understand when she's mumbling into my shoulder."

"That..." Erin starts, glancing between Abby, Holtzmann, and Patty. "That doesn't really answer the question?"

"She likes to be held when she's trying to work through a redesign roadblock."

Patty nods.

Erin just frowns slightly, which makes Abby frown slightly, and Patty watches while they have a seemingly elaborate conversation with frowns and furrowed brows.

Finally, Erin sighs. "Fine, I'll plate your serving," she says, walking over to put the bag down on the kitchenette table. "But sooner or later you're going to have to stop using that argument."

"Alright, Holtzmann," Abby says, completely ignoring Erin. "Down you go."

"No," she says, slightly muffled against her shoulder.

"You've been on me for half an hour."

"I haven't figured it out yet."

"I have to pee. Erin, help me out here."

Erin raises an eyebrow.

"Oh, don't start with that--"

"I'll take her," Patty offers.

"I love you," Abby replies, and she shuffles over to Patty. "Holtzmann, sweetie, I need you to get off me now."

Holtzmann lets out a long sigh. "Fine."

Patty holds out her arms, corner of her mouth flicking up into a smile. "C'mere, Holtzy."

It is a feat of athleticism as Holtzmann unbends from around Abby and half-launches herself at Patty. Her arms go around Patty's neck first, squeezing for half a second before her legs wrap around Patty's hips to keep herself in place. And then she's shuffling so she's more on Patty's side, but her ankles hook around each other and her arms loosen into a comfortable hold, and then she's limp against Patty.

Patty wraps her arms around Holtzmann, and nods. It's actually kinda comfortable.

Behind Holtzmann, Abby mouths, ' _I'm free_ ,' before she takes off out of the lab.

"Want me to serve you a plate?” Erin asks.

Patty turns around to Erin, and shakes her head. “I’ll eat when I’m not on Holtz duty.”

“Just let me know if you change your mind.” Erin takes one of the plates, and heads over to the bench, which is the only furniture piece in the lab that isn’t piled high with miscellaneous pieces of bent metal. "Though do you want me to see if I can clear off any surface for you to sit on?"

Patty shakes her head. "I spend my entire shift sitting down, I don't mind standing for a bit. Although…" She looks around the room, and nods her head towards the cardboard box full of books. It had started out as Holtzmann’s, as far as Patty could tell, but then she brought in a few relevant books from home. Holtzmann had added a few more in. Patty still isn’t sure if she and Holtzmann are trying to one-up each other, but it’s resulting in more reading material for Patty, so she’s not overly concerned. Even if she loses, she still wins. “Mind grabbing me one of those?”

Erin looks down at it. “I don’t know. I spent my entire day standing, I should probably keep sitting down. I think we should get Kevin to come and get it for you.”

“Grab me the damn book.”

Erin frowns.

“I don’t know how your frown-arguments go with Abby, and I don’t know your track record, but I’ll let you know that I’ve got a damn good track record. So if you could please get a book for me, I would appreciate it.”

Erin shakes her head, but there’s a smile on her face. “I’m just picking one at random.”

“Good for me.”

Abby returns, grabs her plate, shoves in to sit next to Erin, and demands to know all the minutiae of Dr. Filmore’s expressions.

Patty’s already heard the minutiae, and so she tunes them out, propping up the book on a high table where she can easily read it while standing. Her arms are wrapped around a possibly-sleeping Holtzmann’s back, and she’s rocking her gently as she shifts from foot to foot, Abby and Erin talking indistinctly in the background, reading a chapter on the New Amsterdam Theatre.

“Your earrings are very distracting.”

Patty has been through some pretty alarming shit in the past few weeks, and has no reason to be alarmed at the quiet murmur in her ear. She’s still pretty damn alarmed though. It takes her a moment to keep from letting out some undignified yelp, and correct, “My earrings are _stylish_.”

Holtzmann lets out a long sigh, directly against the side of Patty’s neck. And then she reaches up one hand and taps a finger against the gold hoop. It swings gently. 

Patty shakes her head, smiling.

Holtzmann goes completely stiff for a moment, and then pushes herself back, fingers digging into Patty’s shoulders. Her eyes are wide, and she stares at Patty for a long moment. Then announces, “You’re amazing.” 

Patty stares at her.

And then Holtzmann half-jumps half-falls off Patty, and starts jogging towards the door. Over her shoulder, she yells, “I need to get a lot more gold wiring, save me food!”

“Have fun!” Abby yells. “Don’t get into trouble!”

“Good talk, Holtzy!” Patty calls after her. “We should do that again sometime.”

Holtzmann back-tracks into the room, gives her a bright grin and a thumbs-up, and then disappears again.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic] no koala bear petting zoos in new york city by ienablu](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11000208) by [abrollo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/abrollo/pseuds/abrollo), [wingedwords (gunpowderandlove)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gunpowderandlove/pseuds/wingedwords)




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